PORTUGAL: On 14-17 June 2012 in Vilamoura, Portugal, the UK merchant industry will get together for the first time in four years at an all-industry conference to ponder where it is now, where it is going and what the future holds.

“The entire industry – family-owned businesses and plcs; suppliers, merchants and wholesalers will all get together on a common footing to take thought together and address our common problems,” said Chris Pateman, managing director of the Builders’ Merchants Federation.

“That, in a nutshell, is what merchants and suppliers have told us they would like to see from the first merchant industry conference since Tenerife in 2008, when NMBS, Unimer, and the BMF all got together to create an all-industry affair which helped warn us of the trading horrors to come, and prepare ourselves to survive them.”

Mr Pateman said that with input from BMF supplier members and regional chairmen, BMF was working to involve as many stakeholders as possible in an all-industry event.

“We’ve already set aside a whole day in the Conference’s agenda to allow the buying groups the flexibility to organise their own meetings and events if they wish, yet still take advantage of the full conference programme,” Mr Pateman explained.